Huntail Discussion

[MasterSwordsmanGallade]

Surprised there is no thread about this Pokemon yet.

Huntail

Huntail has always been around, acting as a Mixed Rain Sweeper who could KO weakened Pokemon later in the game. This generation, however, Arceus and Mew gave a gift from the heavens: Shell Smash. This made Huntail, among other Pokemon, top threats in their respective tiers. However, the likes of Gorebyss and the new Carracosta were also given it, and at first glance seem to do a better job. However, these two threats are Specially and Physically based, respectively. Huntail has the ability to meet them both halfway and become a Mixed Sweeper, just as it was last gen. This truly is an underrated threat, and can destroy teams without trying when it wants to.

Name: Shell Smash
move 1: Shell Smash
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Crunch
move 4: Ice Beam/Hidden Power Fire
item: Life Orb / White Herb
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Naive/Naughty
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe

Discuss.

 

[papita]

Why would you use hp fire in a tier where ferroseed doesn't exist. Ice beam is much more useful to nail stuff like altaria and hits grass types harder than hp fire.

Hp grass looks good to nail stuff like unawere quagsire and bulky waters in general

 

[MasterSwordsmanGallade]

HP Fire can hit Steel-types like Metang harder then it's other moves do.

HP Grass might be worth a slash, though.

 

[TROP]

HP Fire can hit Steel-types like Metang harder then it's other moves do.

Neutral Hydro Pump>Super Effective Hidden Power Fire.

 

[Molk]

yeah, hydro pump huts harder than a SE hidder power fire, no real use in using it, especially because all the steels are weak to water in this tier

 

[Brammi]

Yeah because metang is soooooo popular and good.

Peeps should learn the metagame first.

Anyway, Huntail will always be in Gory's shadow in the tier. Huntail suffers all the same problems and the only thing it has is the ability to beat Regice and Jynx with a 2 attack set. I expect it to be good if gory gets banned otherwise it will most likely remain in the shadow.

 

[MasterSwordsmanGallade]

K, whatever. I said steel types like Metang, not Metang itself.

But I don't see why people underrate Huntail so much.

 

[Steamroll]

Probably because its sister Gorebyss was so overrated at the beginning of this suspect round.

 

[StallMandibuzz]

Perhaps. Most people don't really see Huntail as that much of a threat, probably due to its' middling HP and flaky movepool. But it has a pretty decent Defense, if there was only a way to get its' HP to not suck. Shell Smash surely was a gift from the Poke-Gods, and if you get rid of Huntail's threats, it could tear ass right through the opponent's team, key word being COULD.

 

[MasterSwordsmanGallade]

That's why team support is nessecary for any sweeper, as well as Huntail.

 

[AccidentalGreed]

HP Fire was only 'popular' (flaky term) because Snover was in the tier. Changing the analysis.

And no, it can't "do as well" as Gorebyss because it's a pretty different Shell Smasher. Gorebyss is specially-based, so we can't really compare them. The reason it uses Mixed attacking movesets is because it has to, but it does a good job at what it does.

 

[Smith]

If nothing else, Huntail is good because the best (not best as a counter, but just best as a Pokemon) Gorebyss counter, Jynx, utterly loses to Crunch. He can actually fulfill the role of a mixed sweeper very well, and since Shell Smash boosts both that really shouldn't be underestimated. He can also hit stuff like Quagsire that likes to invest in special defense a lot harder than Gorebyss. Huntail in conjunction with Substitute Gorebyss actually seems reaaaaaally scary to me. Underrated mon if you play to his strengths!

 

[MasterSwordsmanGallade]

I changed that last post, it was retarded. I sorta meant to say it isn't worried about being walled by Specially Defensive Lapras and other shit that Gorebyss is (argument: invalid.)

And there is no debate that Huntail can eat shit alive when used well, and isn't hard to use. But still, I don't get why it's so underrated...

EDIT:

If nothing else, Huntail is good because the best (not best as a counter, but just best as a Pokemon) Gorebyss counter, Jynx, utterly loses to Crunch. He can actually fulfill the role of a mixed sweeper very well, and since Shell Smash boosts both that really shouldn't be underestimated. He can also hit stuff like Quagsire that likes to invest in special defense a lot harder than Gorebyss. Huntail in conjunction with Substitute Gorebyss actually seems reaaaaaally scary to me. Underrated mon if you play to his strengths!

This.

 

[StallMandibuzz]

Well, for the cards it's been given, Huntail isn't the worst Pokemon out there, and it can hold its' shit together when it has team support. It probably isn't used much because there are Pokes that can do its' job better, but it's still a good Poke.

 

[Zarco]

Pure physical with smash/waterfall/crunch/ice fang is pretty nice

 

[ChaoticaMortis]

So, I think I'm wrong on this, but if you're faster than the opponent and you both use Sucker Punch, wouldn't YOURS hit first and make the opponent's SP fail?

I'm asking this because as we know, Shell Smash boosts the Speed stat, and Huntail has Sucker Punch, which would eliminate any Absol attempting to revenge it with Sucker Punch.

Honestly I don't know why Sucker Punch hasn't been mentioned yet; most of Huntail's / Gorebyss's counters rely on being faster to revenge kill them, and Sucker Punch coming off a +2 LO-boosted Atk stat sounds devastating.

EDIT: God damn it, never mind, it's illegal with Shell Smash.

feelsbadman.jpg

 

[StallMandibuzz]

Damn, SP/Shell Smash WOULD be a good combo, but it's unfortunately illegal. ._. Without Shell Smash, Huntail is just another regular Pokemon.